Illinois politicians support Bill Daley for White House chief of staff

January 4, 2011

Rahm Emanuel says Bill Daley would make be a good pick to replace him on a permanent basis as White House chief of staff. Published reports say President Barack Obama is considering hiring Daley for the position previously held by Emanuel. Daley is the brother of Chicago's mayor and he worked with Emanuel in the White House in the 1990s. Emanuel says the president's pick for the next chief of staff will set the tone for the next two years.

"The most important thing is what the president wants from a chief of staff and every president is different and during their presidency, there are different things you would want out of a chief of staff and that is what's important," Emanuel said.

Emanuel quit his position as Mr. Obama's chief of staff earlier this year to run for mayor of Chicago. Earlier Tuesday, Illinois' senators Mark Kirk and Dick Durbin said Bill Daley would fit in well as the chief of staff. But Durbin says he doesn't think the president has made a decision yet. Durbin's former chief of staff, Pete Rouse, is currently serving as interim White House chief of staff.